Every Tuesday, I head to the local cafeteria for what has become known as my "Tuesday Eat-and-Read". Yesterday (Veteran's Day Nov. 11), I chose to look for news on my Kindle instead of diving into the book that I’m currently reading.
A lady who was sitting two booths from me was talking in a very loud voice to the man sitting across from her. “HOW DID UNCLE J.B. DIE? DID YOU KNOW THAT SO-AND-SO HAS EYE PROBLEMS? RALPH CAN’T EAT HEAVY FOOD SO I’M GOING TO GET A TAKE-OUT OF MASHED POTATOES BEFORE WE LEAVE. WE’LL GIVE IT TO HIM WHEN WE VISIT HIM.”
This went on and on … she, shouting her words and the elderly man whispering so quietly that I couldn’t possibly hear him. I struggled to concentrate on the news for the day … “only 1,034,000 U.S. World War II veterans still living … 555 die each day … by 2036, there will be no World War II veteran alive.”
Again, the woman yelled. “ARE YOU READY TO GO?” I heard nothing from the man. He placed his World War II Veteran cap on his head and slowly slid out of the booth. He stood straight and proud, steadying himself with his cane, and then walked through the restaurant with determination, leaving the woman behind to catch up with him.
It occurred to me that during my "Tuesday Eat-and-Read", I was staring at the back of the head of one of the 1,034,000 World War II veterans mentioned on the screen of my Kindle. “O God, be with this man and the other 1,033,999 today. Remind them that they are beloved by you and appreciated by so many. Amen.”
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